Dingo Gate Lookout Traditional Cache
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This cache is located not far from the "Dingo Gate" on the
Western Boundary of Stewarts Brook State Forest on the Barrington
Tops Plateau near the Barrington Tops National Park. I wanted a
cache up here that was possible to access at all times of the year
and this was a great spot for it. The area is also known as Moonan
Outlook.
The NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service manages the area and
closes roads off during periods of heavy rain or when snow falls,
not necessarily in Winter. This serves two purposes, firstly for
safety (saves them needing to rescue people also) and prevents the
roads from deteriorating, saving valuable dollars for the service
which can be put to better use.
This cache at the Dingo Gate is accessible (certainly from the
Western side) all year round. When the Scone to Gloucester Road is
closed, the closest you can park is at the road gate which I have
included as a waypoint below. Most of the time you can park within
150m at the Moonan Outlook Picnic area which is next to the Dingo
Gate.
Park & Road closures info:
Visit Link
A little about the nearby Barrington Tops & National Park, the
following info is provided courtesy of NSW NPWS:
Barrington Tops National
Park
Park area: 74,568 hectares
Year the park was created: 1969
Highest point: 1586 metres
Lowest point: 200 metres
Main rivers: Hunter River, Paterson River, Williams River,
Chichester River, Allyn River, Barrington River, Kerripit River,
Gloucester River, Wangat River, Polblue River, Omadale Brook,
Manning River, Moppy River, Cobark River, Beean Beean Creek, Kholwa
Creek.
Wilderness About 3/4 of the park is declared wilderness. The
Barrington Wilderness protects extensive areas of essentially
undisturbed bushland, covering steep escarpment slopes and wild
river valleys.
These areas include a variety of forest types, including cool
temperate, warm temperate and subtropical rainforests as well as
eucalypt forests.
World Heritage
Barrington Tops National Park is the southernmost link of the
Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves of Australia (CERRA), a chain
of rainforest parks that spread along the coastal escarpment of
North-East NSW and South-East Queensland. The Barrington Tops won
World Heritage status in 1986.
Geology & landscape
The Barrington Tops Plateau is the second highest tableland in
Australia, behind only the Australian Alps. It peaks at 1586m, and
more than 100 square kilometres of the plateau stands above
1400m.
This landscape is not only lofty; it's also dramatic. Steep slopes
plunge off the edge of the plateau, falling quickly to near sea
level. This abrupt topography has both nurtured and defended the
park's World Heritage-listed rainforests.
Climate
The climate of the Barrington Tops is somewhat cooler than nearby
coastal areas and river valleys. The Barrington Tops interrupt the
passage of moist easterly air streams, generating high rainfall and
occasional winter snow.
Best months to visit
You can visit Barrington Tops National Park at any time of year,
but be prepared for cold weather if you're planning a winter trip.
Snow is not uncommon on the plateau.
That being said, the weather can change dramatically on the
Barrington Tops at any time of year. Temperatures below zero
are common. If you're walking or camping, bring adequate clothing
and equipment, and carry extra provisions in case you're caught
out.
Random Fact about the area:
In the early 1920s, there was talk of agriculture and a racecourse,
golf course, and hydroelectric development. After heavy snow on the
plateau in 1923, it was suggested that the area could be a
wonderful playground for skiing and skating. In 1934, Newcastle
City Council drew up a detailed plan for a tourist resort on the
plateau. But road access up the steep southern slope of the plateau
proved too difficult, and all the grand plans came to nothing.
:)
Camping in the Park:
Visit Link
Cache info:
Getting to the cache:
Note on road conditions - Between the towns of Moonan Brook (West)
and Barrington (East) the roads are predominanly unsealed
and vary in condition greatly. If all is fine the main roads are
very good quality and accessible by regular 2WD vehicles with no
troubles at all. After bad weather, heavy traffic or lack of
maintenance the roads can get very rough, with rocks, potholes and
corrugations in good supply in different areas. The minor roads and
tracks / trails will be worse. As mentioned previously, for
different reasons some roads and trails are closed at different
times (usually when wet / snowy, after severe windstorms or during
the Winter & early Spring - trails). Please respect the signage
and keep off roads that are closed - main roads will be closed by a
gate, trails may not.
Approximate Travel Distances & Routes:
Scone to Moonan Flat (via Gundy Rd & Hunter Rd): 52km
Moonan Flat to Dingo Gate (Moonan Brook Rd & Barrington Tops
Forest Rd): 16km
Gloucester to Dingo Gate (via Barrington Tops Forest Rd):
78km
Some other options (if main roads / areas are closed in some
sections or you like the drive):
Gloucester to Moonan Flat via Barrington Tops Forest Rd, Pheasant
Creek Rd, Tomalla Rd: 103km
Gloucester to Moonan Flat via Walcha Rd, Curricabark Rd, Carters
Rd, Tomalla Rd*: 121km *last option, some sections are more like a
goat track than a road and parts are not maintained, A 4WD would
have no problems though I have done it in a standard Hyundai Excel
before. Makes it much more of an adventure / scenic route. :)
There are other options (Tubrabucca Rd / Trl etc.) but I wanted to
keep this relatively concise :) If you intend to travel off the
main roads listed, keep your GPS tracking so you can get back if
need be and don't trust maps of the area on paper or in GPS!
Notes: Moonan Brook Rd is 1.5km short of Moonan Flat if heading
from Gloucester
A basic image of the routes around the area is available to view
below.
At the cache:
The altitude of the cache is almost 1300m
There are good views (depending on weather and daylight) not far
from the location (hence the name)
Beware of your footing approaching and near the cache, it is very
rocky and there are some steep drops nearby
Although often you can be the only person in the whole area
sometimes there will be a few people around so do be on the lookout
for muggles, though the cache location is somewhat out of view to
most who visit the area.
The container is a camouflaged 90mm stormwater pipe around 300mm
long.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
N ybat bowrpg gung vf tbbq gb fgnaq ba sbe n avpr ivrj. Bowrpgf va sebag gb bofpher.
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